An integrated model ofacademic integrity
Prof. Bruce Macfarlane
Quality Assurance Forum, Tokyo, 27th July 2015

The purpose of my research
Many philosophers have sought to answer the question:‘What does it mean to lead a ‘good’ life?’

During my career I have been interested in the followingquestion:‘What does it mean to lead a ‘good’ life as anacademic?’

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What does ‘academic integrity’ mean?

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Narrow interpretations of ‘academic integrity’• It is about misconduct, not good conduct• It is only about cheating and plagiarism by students• It is only about research ethics (from a biomedicalperspective)• It is about rules, principles, codes of conduct, etc

4An integrated model (AI = Academic Integrity)
I argue that AI should:

1) Focus on defining good conduct, not bad conduct
2) Address all elements of academic practice – ie teaching,research and service – holistically3) Be multidisciplinary, not based only on bioethics
4) Be understood as about personal and professional values
or virtues of moral excellence.

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Defining ‘integrity’• In English ‘integrity’ derives from two Latin words:‘Integer’‘Integritas’….meaning WHOLE or ENTIRE• In Japanese….
完全無欠。誠実。正直。高潔。清廉。
A person with integrity = 人格者
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Defining ‘academic integrity’‘the values, behaviour and conduct of academics in all
aspects of their practice’(Macfarlane, Zhang and Pun, 2012: 340)

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An integrated model ofacademic practice

Teaching

ResearchService

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A virtue approach: the golden mean
- Excellences of character, rather than rules- Finding the middle course between extremeseg
Vice

VirtueVice

Cowardice

Courage

Recklessness

99The virtues of academic practice
Teaching

Respectfulness, sensitivity, pride, courage,fairness, openness, restraint, collegiality

ResearchCourage, respectfulness, resoluteness,sincerity, humility, reflexivity

ServiceBenevolence, collegiality, loyalty,guardianship, engagement
Macfarlane (2004; 2007; 2009)10

What is the link between quality assurance
and academic integrity?
Quality Assurance is:‘A mechanism for which higher education institutions secure
their quality of education and research in order to build theconfidence of stakeholders (my emphasis)’. (NIAD-UE, 2015)‘Quality assurance is the process for checking that theacademic standards and quality of higher education provision
meet agreed expectations (my emphasis)’. (UK QAA, 2015)
Sources: NIAD glossary of terms (online); QAA (2015) The Quality Code:
A Brief Guide (online)
11How are ‘virtues’ relevant to NIAD-UE?
NIAD-UE role: To reassure stakeholders that higher
education institutions are performing with integrity

How does NIAD-UE judge that universities are performingwith integrity? Are they:- Fair – in their treatment of students?
- Open/transparent – in being committed to continuous
improvement?

- Trustworthy – in upholding standards?
- Accountable – for their public funding?

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Virtues implied by level of QA responsibility
LevelResponsibility

Virtues (eg)MacroNIAD-UE

Guardianship

MesoUniversities

TrustworthinessAccountability
Openness

Micro

Academic faculty

Fairness
Respectfulnesseg ‘Every student is treated fairly and with courtesy, dignity
and respect’ (QAA – UK, 2015)13

Definitions of quality and virtue
Definition of quality• as exceptional

Implied virtue• Reflexivity• as perfection• Openness• as fitness for purpose• Trustworthiness• as value for money• Accountability• as transformation• Student-centredness

Definitions of quality from Harvey& Green (1993)

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Quality and AI as input, process andoutput
Quality as input

eg establishing transparent/opensystems

Quality as processeg treating students fairly andrespectfully

Quality as output

eg trustworthiness in reporting
research data through publication;in student assessment15

3 threats to academic integrity
Academic performativity 学術研究における点数稼ぎ主義
Rewarding academic work on the basis of targets andperformance indicators
Academic capitalism 学術界での利益至上主義
Commercial exploitation of academic work
Academic cronyism 適性等関係なく地位を与える等のえこひいき
Relationships based on gifts and favors within academic
networks to trade privileges and opportunities without regard tomerit
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Conclusion: Why AI is central to quality• AI is central to QA and relies on virtues such astrustworthiness, transparency, fairness andaccountability.
• Integrity based on a common understanding ofprofessional virtues among academics promotes aself-policing quality culture• BUT quality drivers and performance indicatorsneed to avoid crude targets in order to counteract
the effects of academic performativity, academic
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capitalism and academic cronyism

Gosei-chou
Arigato gozai mashita!
Bruce Macfarlane
Professor of Higher Education
University of Southampton
bmachku@gmail.com(Linked in, researchgate, academia.edu)
With special thanks to Mika Narumi for Japanese translation
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